Engaged Encounter Retreats v. 1-Day Marriage Prep Classes

One of the last few things that Mr. Gardenia and I waited to do was to enroll in our marriage prep class, a requirement to get married in the Catholic Church. We waited on getting this done because we weren’t too sure if wanted to do the weekend retreat (that seems to be the favorite for most brides and grooms) or the 1-day class that’s typically done locally in your parish. Most of my friends preferred the engaged encounter/weekend retreat and recommended that Mr. Gardenia and I attend it if we have the choice to. They found a lot of value in the weekend retreats because it gave them time as a couple to re-collect and re-focus on their priorities. It gives the couple the opportunity to have a getaway from all the wedding hustle and bustle that they have going on and meet other engaged couples to share experiences with one another.

Mr. Gardenia and myself dare off to our 1-day marriage prep class this weekend at a local parish. Unfortunately since we did wait so last minute, we’re not able to attend a class in the same church where our ceremony will be at. We decided to enroll in the 1-day class since we felt that we were in a rush to get this accomplish and tight with our budget. The 1-day classes typically cost around $70-$100 where as the weekend retreats cost $200-300 since it’ll cover food and lodging for 2 days. I’m on the fence about it since I don’t know what or how to prepare for this class but I am looking forward to spending time together away from all the busy-ness that we have been in the middle of lately. I think we owe it to ourselves just to have some quiet time to talk about our upcoming marriage and the future that lies ahead of us.

We figure that, depending on our experience from this 1-day class, we can always attend the marriage encounter which is similar to the weekend retreats but this time for married couples instead of engaged couples. Do you have any classes/requirements that you have to fulfill prior to your big day? What did you learn from them?